Explore the world of New Traditional Architecture! Now you can easily discover new projects (with photos of course) and architects with this ever expanding atlas. Go to () and start your journey :)
The Dutch city of Purmerend got a local entrepreneur that does nothing else it seems than find ugly local modernist eyesores and replace them with traditional designs. Latest approved /to be built is this project at 4 Tramplein. If only more cities could be this lucky!
A developer bought a postwar build in Hereford Square in London from 1958, tore it down and rebuilt the prewar structure. Not because of altruism, but profit. Lets focus on regulating (and educating our officials) so that the market can work for the city instead of against it.
Want to densify a villa area? Offer to make it more beautiful then! An example from Antwerpen, Belgium where two dull postwar villas were replaced with 11 appartments in Vernacular style in 2020.
A while ago I posted about the local benefactor in the danish city of Aabenraa that builds a lot new traditional architecture. One of the first projects he undertook was the transformation of his shipping companies main office park building to something more in line with (thread)
One of the most glorius projects in recent time is not a reconstruction, but old plans in the drawer realized. The plot next to the Hungarian parlament was to be built up, but the war came in the way. The new communist regime was hostile..
A whole row of modernist buildings in Hoogeveen (NL) was torn down in 2018 and replaced with a traditional inspired mixed use. More photos can be found here:
A favorite Romanian architect of mine is Adrian Paun. He works mainly in the Romanian revival style and has created all sorts of buildings. Here is a current project of his transforming/modernising a home for poor elderly built in the 1980s in Botoșani. To be completed in 2023.
In the small German town of Herrnhut they are actively working to shake of decades of communism&modernist architecture. And as a center of the Moravian Church they focus a lot on social work&the next generation. When expanding their popular schools this is what they do (thread)..
One of the greatest single urban improvements in a city was Bath's (UK) demolition of the horrendous modernist buss terminal/shopping center of SouthGate. The new SouthGate is by no means a masterpiece of traditional architecture but the difference is jaw dropping!
Happy Easter! To bring more joy to this day let's look at this approved and under construction project in Hampstead, London. Modernism&surface parking will be replaced with classical&underground parking. In total 30 new lux appartments created.
Arguing with modernists always amuse me. On one hand we apparently live in the postmodern era where everything is allowed, on the other, building traditional is not allowed since it is "not of our time". Pitty them then of this completely new (2012) art nouv building in Amsterdam
Making the villa area center in Rosmalen (NL) a bit more urban and attractive to vist. This new built project creates housing&stores and make the center more attractive to visit. Helps to frame and allready existing square.
There is no modernist monstrosity that cannot be salvaged with help of a classical architect. In 2011 Ed Smith Stadium in Sarasota, FL got a makeover where as much as possible of the modernist structure was reused. It went from bottom to one of the most popular to train at!
Can you paint a pig? Well, we have to do that a lot in short term to create livable environments out of all the modernism built and being built. The classical tradition can help with its wisdom and in this case in the form of the technique trompe-l'œil: Example from Berlin (DE):
When modernist architects say to me "you can´t stop progress" I always reply exactly! Every day more and more people get aware that modernist ugliness is a choice and not a necessity. The townspeople in Lemmer (NL) learnt that and want more! Former muni office turned mixed use:
This is not a reconstruction, but a perfect infill for this particular plot in London, UK. A modernist alternative may have added functionality to the place, but by choosing the new classical option the project also added beauty and overall harmony to the street scape.
The German city of Düsseldorf is one of five German cities where there is abundance of either new traditional architecture or architecture that nods to tradition. This new townhouse completed in 2019 on Columbusstraße is quite typical in replacing post war dread.
It is no coincidence that so many American universities invest in creating classical campus environments (and bulldoze modernism). They want to attract the best, instill pride in their students and secure future alumni donations. The new Nicholas S. Zeppos College at Vanderbilt U
Will someone think of the children? Well, Eton College did when they expanded and rebuilt the area know as Bekynton Field. Ugly modernism replaced with some very beautiful new traditional exteriors and interiors.
"Quartier de la Gare" in Yerres (Paris area) transforms surface parking to 160 apartments (48 are social housing) adjacent to a train station. Except for housing there will be shops, offices & a police station. The lost surfc parking will be replaced with mostly undergr parking.
To correct the built environment from modernism will be a work for generations, but it can be done. A lovely replacement of an 1980s carbuncle on Draycot Ave, London. See comments for more photos of the lovely detail on the facade.
Post war modernist social housing upgraded in Alkmaar, NL. The apartments are now larger and the building became beautiful. As this building forms a courtyard with an historic building the whole built environment got more harmonious.
This new Ralf Lauren store in New York is not a reconstruction, but one of those times one is happy about big multinational brands with deep pockets. And of course an owner with great taste.
In 2016 a a federal program was unveiled to build new courthouses across the US. Every state/county has a say what they should look like and in the state of Alabama they want them classical. This is the third classical in the state I know of (one more on the way). Progressive!
New luxury does not need to equate a sterile glass tower. It can be an elegant new courtyard appartment building like project Eisenzahn1 in Berlin completed 2017 (replacing a postwar structure). Thus wealth can be used to beautify our cities instead of just beeing "investments".
A bit of new harmony in London. Yep, it is "boring" by modernist standards (the ones that ruined our cities) yet that is what makes it so great. It does not scream, it just affect us unconsciously with its simple beauty and the harmony it bring to this section of the street.
🇩🇪 FUTURE-PROOF URBANISM: I will say it again and again, if we want families and middle class to live in cities, courtyard urbanism is the way. So skip high-rises, towers and all other forms of nonsense and focus on attractive apartment buildings of maximum six storeys organized…
A big misunderstanding is that being pro-trad is to stop time and have an eternal 19th century with no new styles allowed. That false notion comes from the view classical is a "style" and not a framework that it really is. Using the framework one will never fail.Newbuild London:
🇫🇷DREAM POLITICANS: I do not know why but there seem to be very competent mayors in the communes surrounding inner city Paris. Unlike most mayors or politicians, they do not let themselves be bullied by the modernist establishment of architects and culture journalists (thread)
Post-1945 Mexico saw explosive population growth combined with dominance of modernism in building new. This has led to so much urban ugliness similar to other cities in the developing world. But with pop growth slowing and an embryo of new classical architects emerging, (thread)
While modernism will haunt us for many more years, the revolution is on the horizon. Even an average newtrad building is preferable because it can be positively altered later, unlike modernist monsters. University Arms Hotel in Cambridge (UK) got a needed.. (thread)
The more globalized the world get, the more interesting the local gets. And in the ebb&flow of towns and cities, local traditional beauty may very well be what make some places survive and others not. The village of Tisbury (UK) had the advantage of a direct train link to London,
🇺🇸REVITALIZING SMALL TOWN AMERICA (3 PROJECTS): An important current issue is the decline of small towns in many countries. One solution to this problem that has worked in such different places as Gagnef (Sweden) to Philippi (Barbour County, West Virginia, US) (thread)
Some of the best "natural" densifications today are done around the French capital. I have mentioned this many times and will continue to do so. Many neglected or low rise streets get a nice reinvigoration with gentle increase in density and function (thread)
The masters of urban regeneration are the French since they have such holistic approach and are not afraid of new traditional architecture. In the commuter town of Croissy-sur-Seine (near Paris), the formely tired main boulevard has been redeveloped coniniusly for years (thread)
If European cities have been ravaged by modernist architecture&planning it is nothing compared to US counterparts. But if we want it we can rebuild everything again, more beautiful than ever. New condos in New Orleans.
I am very much a courtyard urbanist as I beleive this form is the best to bring families to the city. Inside, a private green soundprotected court (balconies towards the court, not the street!) and outside the exiting bustling city. New trad architecture from Berlin (2014).
🇳🇱 NO ONE WILL NOTICE: In a recent conversation with an italian journalist we discussed how bad many classical architects are in marketing themselves. They are a completely different type of personality than the average modernist (thread)
Under construction in Vincennes (Paris), "Villa Aubert" (compl 2023). The area both get denser & more beautiful. The latter is something modernists always forget, that more people is not nec better esp if area dont get more beautiful at the same time.
Third Sunday of Advent and I would therefor share a small miracle from the Paris region. The Gothic Cathedral of Saint-Denis dates back to the 7th century and have had its alterations through time. After mistreatment in the revolutionary 19th a tower was removed due to (thread)
The St. Panteleimon Greek Orthodox Church in Harrow, London went from postwar to full Byzantine in the early 2010s. The building is marvelous both on the outside&inside. Thus city thus got a work of art instead instead of some "original" modernist design" outdated in a few years.
🇩🇪 REPLACING 30S WITH 20S: Recently back from a holiday in Kaunas (LT). The city has an impressive collection of early modern buildings and I am very weak for this time period. It is the modern that were promised until architcts replaced it with the ideology of modernism (thread)
Swedish cities have been devastated by modernism and 45% of all classical buildings were cleared and replaced with horror. Only due to public outcry did the destruction stop. Though modernism did not stop, but now with the second public revolt we are finally seeing.. (thread)
It was not the bombs that destroyed Europes great cities but that they were rebuilt in modernist fashion. Because how many times previously in history have they not been ravaged only to return grander than ever. Palais Kolle Belle in Berlin is one of the early projects (2009)..
Cleaning up the sterile anywhere mess of modernist architecture&urb planning is a work for generations. And what to do with these buildings? Tear them down or reuse as much as possible? Example from Charleston, SC: The Gaillard Municipal Auditorium & Exhibition Hall.. (thread)
🇷🇺BEHIND THE NEW IRON CURTAIN: In the sad state that is global affairs, a new iron curtain has once again been erected between Russia and the West. Trapped behind are the countless talented classical architects as well as interesting projects (thread)
🇳🇱 HARMONY IS NEVER OVERRATED: New traditional architecture in the Netherlands is with few exceptions a bit boring. But while ambition is not close to the prewar creativity, there are plenty of good city repairs (thread)
When we imagine a beautiful rural scenery it is seldom without buildings, but without modernist buildings. Removing roadside sprawl and modernism is our times challenge but it can be done. Example from Rytro, southern Poland where a road stop became a destination in itself:
The German capital has mostly been rebuilt the ugly modernist way. Yet it is here that the German New Trad scene began and where it continues to score great victories over modernist ugliness. This project is 4 years old by now and while not prewar splendor, it create harmony.
Whenever democracy is involved, the classical option always wins over the modernist. This time politicians&public overran the "experts" and choose the right option for this new building that will contain housing and work space for guest researchers at Gothenburgs Uni (Swe).
A new jail in Forth Worth, TX. The new building is more sustainable than a majority of "green" buildings since it is beautiful enough that people will try to repurpose it when no longer a jail in a distant future. This will prolong its lifespan thus reducing its carbon footprint.
Noefer Architekten is a german firm that make interesting new traditional buildings. Since they "break the rules" here and there the new builds are not always perfect. But good enough and interesting to say at least. This new office building replaced some modernist ugliness.
If you have a neglected and unpopular area of your commune, what do you do? Well, make the road to a boulevard of course! That is what La Garenne-Colombes is doing along "Av. de Verdun 1916". And they are not alone in the Paris region in doing this, with Clamart leading the way.
Much has happened in Hungary since the fall of communism,not the least the cancellation of the state enforced brutalism. Now the Hungarian organic architecture that the former authorities tried to clamp down can be built freely. This is remodeled health clinic in Csenger (thread)
There is nothing particular rotten in the state of Denmark, it is the same dystopian modernism as anywhere else. But the Danes, like the other nordic countries got an architecture rebellion (org). A small celebration was this hotel near the railway stn in Skagen, completed 2018:
While there are 100s of buildings left to be rebuilt, things are going in the right direction in Düsseldorf. Still a majority new built is ugly modernism but many are the central addresses now where timeless beauty prevail over modernist sterility /craziness.
From dull modernism to full Gotham, the new high rise "135 East 79th Street" in New York breathes a powerful aesthetic. Imagine a highrise city full of these instead of the glass crap with strange twists that modernist firms spit out:
🇳🇱GENTLE DENSITY YET AGAIN: I will say it many times but with respect to historic memory, we can tear down some older buildings if we create something new of similar or more refined value. Like always in history one could add (thread)
Whenever modernists get a chance they destroy. It is therefor imperative that cities go on the counter offensive. The address Damrak 70 in Amsterdam (NL) was home to a typical modernist assault on beauty&urbanity. That changed in 2016 thanks to a new policy by the muni.. (thread)
A question that often arise is if it is more expensive to build new traditional, to which the answer is NO! The reason the question arise in the first place is bc the public still at large believe that all ugly modernism built has a logical rather than ideological reason (thread)
The previous modern, that is Art Deco and similar styles from the interwar years, really show what a more attractive future could look like.This new retail building from the Hauge (NL) replace the usual dull modernism. The style chosen reminds of Stream line moderne and (thread)
There are many fashion words in today's urban planning like "placemaking", "walkability"&"resilience", things that were natural in pre-modernist city. In the Paris area they increasingly get this and in countless places one find projects like this one in Gennevilliers (thread)
One of the truest buildings of "our time" was the Damen building at Loyola University in Chicago. The building was a pure concrete & so hideous that even car parks were beautiful in comparison. Unfortunately, a new backward striving board at the University.. (thread)
Eton college again and this time the new Jafar Gallery. Modernist ugliness is a choice, never a necessity. We can live in beauty if we allow ourselves to get rid of the modernist ideology.
🇩🇪 WHY CONNECTING IS SO IMPORTANT: One of the reasons I founded New Traditional Architecture was to connect over the language barriers. Not the least for the advancement of the classical tradition as countries that does not recieve foreign classical input seem to stagnate…
🇬🇧A TASTE OF ENGLAND: No place is without modernist scars but some have the possibility to heal them faster. In the UK one can find many nice examples of campus 'healing', that is the replacement of modernist buildings with classical ones (thread)
A tiresome self image of many modernist archi firms is that they are "creative", that is that they build in strange shapes nobody asked for. Yet being creative should be reserved for the talented few. The majority of architects should strive for good&beautiful buildings (thread)
It is always tempting for developers to try to oversize their developments (nothing wrong with them trying). It is here that good regulations become important so that new developments don't overwhelm existing built environment in scale. New residential project in Washington D.C.
At Disney world Paris they build a lot adjacent. One big development is a large mixed use district entirely in Art Deco. And while the urbanism is so-so, the new architecture much better than anything new in central Paris. So to the modernists I say: Yes I want more Disneyland!
As "our time" cannot create proper architecture we shall first relearn how to do it. This means a lot of usage of established classical styles. Then when there is a critical mass of classical architects there will be continuation. New nice and anonymous new build in The Hague, NL
I often mention that in the communes surrounding the French capital, one finds one of the largest concentrations of new trad projects. Quality is, as also mentioned before, unfortunately mostly on pomo pastiche level. Yet scale and urbanism is excellent (thread).
Another example from Bordeaux, France completed in 2011. There has been some serious renevjuation of entire streets along the ring boulevard the last decade. Much of the development is due to less traffic and more tram/bike ridership.
🇬🇷 THAT 1970'S BUILDING: Athens was once full of neo classical buildings constructed in the decades following Greece independence in 1830. Then came modernism and with that changing ideals that crushed this Aegean beauty and turned into a monster of concrete🧵
🇷🇴BUCHAREST'S PAINFUL COMEBACK: Romania has many beautiful cities but the capital Bucharest is supposedly not one of them (hearsay, I have not visited). The former "Paris of the East" suffered greatly of both communist neglect and Ceaușescuan megalomania (thread)
🇫🇷TRANSIT ORIENTED DEVELOPMENT THE RIGHT WAY: A few fresh photos have come out of the previously tweeted TOD development at the train station in Yerres. It looks great and parking was not lost but put underground. Unlike the consensus that state that you should make (thread)
Many classical buildings often had multiple alterations through time. Each generation made its mark to a never ending greater whole. With modernism we instead got archi parasites. But when we scrap this ideology we can do the right thing again like this example from Oxford (UK):
I will always have a bit of reservation towards highrises as they are generally bad urbanism. Not only that, they seem to have a sterilizing effect and the ultra low fertility of East Asias cities can probably be attributed to them. With that said, Art Deco highrises (thread)
Most people like skyscrapers and modernism from a distance (it looks "cool"), but where they want to live is another thing. These new townhouses in Brklyn built on an empty plot can enjoy this. A street & community oriented classical lowrise and watching lower Manhattan from afar
The French capital has lot of good new urbanisms. The choice of architecture is often "construction company classicism", that is wrong proportioned Hausmann architecture. But the urban improvements are undoubtly the best in the world. "La Petite Italie" in Nogent-sur-Marne:
🇩🇰DOCKS TRANSFORMATION: Harbour areas have historically been quite shady places. Today with the modernization of shipping, a lot of old docks are being transformed to prime real estate. This process is in full swing in the danish town of Aabenraa (thread)
Few new traditional projects in France are more than "pastiche", yet when it comes to urbanism they make more rights than the rest of the world combined. Human scale, proper courts, social housing & connected to the streets, like this project in Yerres (thread)
While looking for photos of an interesting Dutch project, I stumbled upon new photos of one previously tweeted. It is a lovely natural densification of a block in The Hauge. Nothing special, just good manners and respect for the street and its inhabitants (Thread)
In the sad state that is urban studies&urban advocacy, idiotic quantitative goals overshadow everything. Thus the more floors a building has the better, no matter how dystopian the urban landscape become. A humane city is one where residential buildings are max 6 floors (thread)
AN EXAMPLE OF THE PRESENT STATE: While every year now produces good new traditional buildings, we are generally far from the masterpieces of the prewar period. And it is not about money, but skill, confidence and present culture (thread)
The French drive me crazy by never documenting their wonderful urban projects (the bad ones on the other hand..). This is "Résidence Coeur Saint Louis à Versailles" in Versailles. Before 1950s (?) and after (2018) 18th classical inspired. Belonging is a large wonderful courtyard.
There is no natural law that the age of a city will equal it more beautiful. That is bc most cities were tiny until either 19th century or the postwar population explosion. What made them either beautiful or ugly today is a result of postwar decisions (Thread)
If one want to study great suburban transformations one should go to the munis surrounding Paris. They achieve this with a mix of trad inspired architecture (gentle densification) and classical urbanism (grid making!), bringing middle class families to new areas:
The Danish city of Aabenraa has a local benefactor (the head of a shipping company) that has invested a lot in rebuilding ugly modernist eyesores to beautiful brick buildings. In 2020 the companies new office was completed with belonging traditional hot dog kiosk!
@carloswdiaz97
@xruiztru
Bavaria is the richest region in Germany and the Dutch bible belt, Smaland (Sweden), Western Norway and Ostrobothnia (Finland) are all prosperous regions. This is not the least due to higher entrepreneurship among the religious.
Reducing (not banning)&slowing traffic is almost always the first thing to do when revitalizing an area.Second is to fill the gaps with loveable (read classic) architecture. This new build in Luxembourg is a way forward for an endless amount of tired neighbourhoods across Europe.
🇫🇷 DENSIFICATION PRESSURE: Metro Paris is huge, and while most of us will not venture beyond the core, a majority of Parisians live outside the later. I have posted projects from the commune of Puteaux before and while the quality is mixed, they are always very humane (thread)
The strength of the classical tradition is not its fancy buildings, but its generic ones. By teaching architects the classical tradition you get a good minimum standard. The new traditional scene is not there as it lacks proper institutional support yet (thread)
Since the people want Paris and not La Defence, the politicians in adjacent commune Puteaux makes sure they get it. Some dilapidated low rises (some old and some modernist) replaced by new Neo-Hausmann architecture. The courtyard is big enough for a private green oasis.
While the ambition of new trad architecture should be higher than just blending in (that is not really adding cultural&aesthetic value), it is anyway always better than modernism. An ugly oversized modernist office block in Naarden (NL) was recently replaced with mixed use.
Like many cities across Europe, Zuphten (NL) suffered damage during WW2. But also like many European cities, there is a rediscovery of the classical tradition. A warwound turned parking was thus recently not reconstructed, but instead a new traditional court building was erected.